Synopsis
Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) is a sword-and-sandal epic you can watch online on iFILM, picking up exactly where The Robe left off. Director Delmer Daves follows the fate of Christ's robe after it passes to the apostle Peter — and the lengths the unhinged emperor Caligula will go to seize its supposed power.
Victor Mature returns as Demetrius, a freed slave whose Christian faith puts him in the emperor's crosshairs. To guard the relic he ends up condemned to the arena, where he must face three tigers and Rome's deadliest fighters. Off the sand, Messalina (Susan Hayward), wife of Claudius, tempts him with power and pleasure, testing his convictions harder than any opponent. The cast packs in Michael Rennie, Debra Paget, Ernest Borgnine and a young Anne Bancroft.
This is solid widescreen Hollywood spectacle from the CinemaScope years: lavish Technicolor sets, brawny combat, and a straightforward parable about keeping the faith. Good company for anyone who loves vintage Roman costume drama. Stream Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) online on iFILM.
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